Figure

A small bust of a Māori woman with tā moko (tattooing) made of kāpia (kauri gum). The hair and pupils have been dyed black, most likely with a soot mixture.

Busts were made of kauri gum starting in the mid-1800s as tourist pieces. Kauri gum carvings could be made both by hand and with a mould. Busts could be made to represent a specific person. Exporting kauri was a major industry in New Zealand from the mid-1800s until the early 1900s. Kauri gum was used to make varnish and linoleum.